1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for energy management and a method for using the same. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to a system which monitors a variety of conditions associated with energy usage in a building to provide management as well as monitoring such energy usage.
2. Background of the Invention
The monitoring and management of energy usage in a building is generally of concern. There are a number of advantages to energy management, especially in large, commercial buildings. Obviously, intelligent management of heating and air conditioning systems can dramatically reduce the energy costs of operating such systems. Beyond that, however, an energy management system may provide an indication of problems in the building, provide meaningful forecasting of energy costs, reduce periodic maintenance, provide accurate usage information to the utility companies, among other things.
A number of existing energy management systems provide such functions. A typical system includes temperature sensors placed about the building for monitoring the indoor air temperature, an outdoor temperature sensor for monitoring the outdoor air temperature, flow meters for measuring natural gas usage, and current or watt meters for measuring electrical consumption. Additional sensors are sometimes included to monitor airflow within HVAC ducts, to measure the temperature of air flowing through such ducts, to monitor chilled water and steam, as well as for measuring other parameters of interest. Typically these systems allow the temperature to be controlled in various areas of a building independent of the other areas of the building and based on information such as the day of the week, time of day, the outside air temperature, whether people are working in an area, etc. In addition, such systems may provide control of other energy consuming devices such as lighting.
Furthermore, many systems also maintain historical records and may report such historical data in the form of graphs or charts. This data may be used to predict future energy usage and to identify anomalies which may be indicative of a need for equipment maintenance or of other problems within the building.
While such systems are presently in use, they suffer from a number of limitations. For example, each individual sensor must be wired to a central controller. Since the sensors are likely dispersed throughout the building, the task of wiring the management system may be daunting, particularly in existing buildings. In addition, while such systems may recognize a problem, the system's ability to provide an alert to indicate the problem is somewhat limited. Furthermore, the ability to display historical or statistical information is typically limited to a single computer connected to the controller.